We're less than three weeks from Christmas but the single most popular trend of the holiday season has emerged, and we're here to tie it up in a bow. Yup, that was a clue. Bows are EVERYWHERE this year—even the White House and the Chip and Joanna Gaines's Hotel 1928 got in on the action.
You may be thinking: Bows for Christmas—revolutionary. But these aren't the bows of Christmas past. While the bow has always been a festive, nostalgic staple when it comes to classic holiday decor, those velvet, taffeta, or synthetic satin red ribbons shaped perfectly into large bows have sometimes skewed borderline tacky. But in 2023 the bow has shifted from something slightly gaudy into delicate and romantic holiday decorations. As more people are sharing glimpses into their festive decorating style, there's a very obvious trend of replacing regular ornaments with bows on Christmas trees.
Naomi de Mañana, a botanical and interior stylist and luxury bow connoisseur, believes this recent uptick in the coquettish accessory's popularity in home stems from a few aspects. "A lot of times, I think trends for home come from fashion," de Mañana tells House Beautiful, and the bows currently in style "are a more elevated, fashion-style bow and not your multi-loop Christmas bow." Designers such as Rodarte and Sandy Liang have been including the decorative knots in their collections for a while now, providing an elevated, vintage-style look that "can translate into holiday," explains de Mañana. There's a romanticism and slight surrealism to a bow that people are drawn to and desire to replicate in their homes, especially when it comes to celebrations. "Holiday is ribbons and bows, so I don't think that'll ever go away," she says, but this new dreamy interpretation of the accessories sprouting up for the festivities are "reminiscent of sweeter times."
While de Mañana has pushed using bows in the home "probably for the last 20 years," she says, incorporating them into your holiday decor can help create a cohesive, fresh look for the season. "If you don't have a huge budget or have hundreds of vintage ornaments, you can get one or two rolls of cool ribbon and choose the color palette and change it out each year," de Mañana explains. From the entryway to the staircase and even on your glassware, tying bows on your decor shows an attention to detail that feels classic and special. "It's a good way in for younger people to start decorating their tree and sort of making it feel their own," she says.
Your aesthetic doesn't have to be romantic or overly feminine to include bows in your decor. De Mañana suggests using simple white or silver bows on a tree for a classic, winter wonderland theme, or choosing really thin, velvet ribbons in black and red for something more elevated and sophisticated rather than an oversized taffeta bow that can look "a little more novelty," she says. "You could have all lace with really thin white velvet, or a lace ribbon and it would look really Victorian," she explains. "Or even a classic bow tie bow can look more preppy or classic."
Some of Our Favorite Bow Holiday Decorations
At the Hotel 1928 in Waco, the Gaineses—as might be expected—are right on trend. The tree in their new hotel is covered in bows in rich shades of brown, set off by twinkling lights and shimmering glass and silver ornaments. It's both of the moment and in keeping with the Hotel's 1920s vibe.
Gwen Hefner, the thrifting influencer known as The Makerista, is no stranger to using bows on her Christmas trees. This year, she layered the sizes and used a mix of patterned knots to create a holiday centerpiece that radiates joy.
Lean into the coquettish reputation of bows, like DIY expert Deborah Trette did, and go full feminine with your tree using pink ribbons and sparkling tinsel combined with ornamentstree. The crafter, on Instagram as myfourwonders, also has many other bow tutorials on her page for the holidays.
Your Christmas tree doesn't have to be completely covered trunk to top—go simple and classic with a few gold ribbons scattered here and there like TikTok creator @lauralestyle did. It'll come out looking truly elegant.
The holidays are all about the meaningful details. Just look at these handcrafted holiday party menus TV personality Laura Jackson created, with the little bows on top. Give a hint of what your festively decorated home will look like by teasing the knots on partyinvitations too.
Don't want to decorate your entire tree with the beautiful knots? No problem—find some bow-shaped decor like these candleholders vintage-lover @nina.new.york did to capture the romantic vibe. Get creative! "Last year, I did black bows on champagne coupes at the base of the stem," de Mañana says. "People really loved that, and it just looked really classic
Even your favorite shops are getting in on the bow action. The Six Bells, a boutique in Brooklyn, has decorated their space with red velvet bows sprinkled about, including on one of their Christmas trees.
What's the Best Way to Add Bows to Your Christmas Tree?
If you're ready to hop on this holiday trend, de Mañana has a few tips for crafting the perfect, bow-centric Christmas tree. "I personally tie the ribbon around a small, straight floral wire, and then you just twist the wire right around the branch," she explains. "Then you can adjust the bow to see if you want it looking forward or more at the top, depending on where it is and what type of bow you have." However, don't tie your bow too tightly, or else the knot could look bulky and weird. (Don't know how to tie the perfect bow? We've got you.)
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Meghan Shouse is House Beautiful's Assistant Editor, a role she has held since September 2023. On top of being the magazine's go-to Waco expert, Meghan also touches on quite a few other verticals in the digital space, like hot news content featuring your favorite HGTV stars, home design inspiration, and the latest interior TikTok trends. However, her favorite pieces are the ones that start conversations, such as stories about resale value and whether or not the Solo cup is chic. Before becoming a home writer, Meghan worked in the fashion industry for two years, writing for Harper's Bazaar after graduating from Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in apparel merchandising. When she's not interviewing interior designers about home trends, you can find Meghan reading a fictional thriller with her cat in her lap, planning themed parties, or strolling through flea markets searching for chunky candle holders and vintage bookends.
